diff --git a/roles/common/tasks/darshan-dev.yml b/roles/common/tasks/darshan-dev.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edd0db0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/common/tasks/darshan-dev.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+- name: install prerequisite software for Darshan development
+  apt:
+    name="{{ item }}"
+    state=present
+    update_cache=yes
+  with_items:
+    - mpich
+    - zlib1g-dev
+    - autoconf
+  tags:
+    - sw
diff --git a/roles/common/tasks/main.yml b/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
index 342eb00..3fd331d 100644
--- a/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@
 - include: software.yml
 - include: users.yml
 - include: raspi-config.yml
+- include: darshan-dev.yml
+  when: "'darshan_dev' in myconfig and myconfig.darshan_dev"
 
 # Configure firewall
 - name: allow SSH through UFW
diff --git a/roles/common/vars/main.yml b/roles/common/vars/main.yml
index 0c19be7..6a80600 100644
--- a/roles/common/vars/main.yml
+++ b/roles/common/vars/main.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ macaddrs:
         enable_serial_hw: True
         enable_onewire: False
         enable_rgpio: False
+        darshan_dev: True
+        extra_software:
+          - "libglib2.0-dev"
+          - "libncurses-dev"
+          - "libperl-dev"
     b8:27:eb:ff:35:c7:
         hostname: "cloverleaf"
         domain: "local"